Second Blade
by Lance Murdock
Summary: Careful observations allow Zabuza to convince Kimimaro to join him and Haku. How will the last Kaguya adapt to life on the road with Haku and Zabuza?
1. Prolouge

I don't own Naruto. This takes place right before Kimimaro attacks the Mist with his clan, when he runs into some familar faces (to the readers).

* * *

"Are you a Mist shinobi?" It was a simple question, but one he wasn't sure how to answer. The Mist _was_ his home, though he was never emotionally tied to the place, unlike the fools that served the Mizukage. To Momochi Zabuza, the Demon of the Mist, the Mist and all those in it were tools he used to become stronger. He still wore the headband, unmarked, of a Mist ninja, but it wasn't to show his allegenice to his homeland. Zabuza's headband was a symbol to the man; the piece of cloth and metal was a manner of proof to show that he was something very proud to be, a shinobi.

The child who asked the question stood with a dagger in hand, ready to jump at the sound of a wrong answer. He could feel the twinge of emotion that the boy was trying very hard to surpress. It was a feeling that he had grown to enjoy during his carrer as a shinobi; fear. Realization of this lead Zabuza to question, 'He knows that he stands no chance against me, yet he's still ready to fight to the death? What a strange kid.' The swordsman didn't sense anyone else around, so he had to be alone. What kind of person would willingly fight against a superior opponent, with seemingly no incentive?

The Demon of the Mist mentally shook his head. No, everyone had a reason to fight. He just had to find out what it was.

His appearance was just an unusual, from Zabuza's perspective. His hair was as white as snow and well taken care of. But his clothing was in poor condition, like that of a begger or escape prisoner. There was something about his eyes as well; the haunted look in his eyes was very familar, but Zabuza couldn't quite pin point where he saw it before. He seem capable enough a shinobi judging from his stance, and that stance seems rather familar as well. But he never recalled seeing the kid before, and Zabuza was quite familar with shinobi of note of his former village. And the dagger he was holding looked like a bone. Although homemade blades made from bones weren't an oddity among prisoners and more violent beggers, they were certainly rare, and the dagger he held looked too well formed for it to be something he made from a carcass. What's more, the only family of ninja that he recalled fighting with bones were...

Zabuza's hand reached for the handle of his sword, and he saw the kid flinch. Surpressing a smirk, the Demon of the Mist cocked his head and asked, "Hey kid? What's you name?"

The boy looked confused. He clearly wasn't expecting that kind of response, and his face scrunched up. He didn't know how to answer this question. 'Is it wise to give such information to a possible hostile target?' he must be thinking. The child must have come up with a response. 'Kaguya Kimimaro."

A Kaguya? Interesting. He had heard that the Kaguya were planning something. Though even he had never though it'd be an attack against the Mist. As least, that's what he figured, based on the kid's question. 'Although, the Kaguya are insane for combat.' Zabuza mused internally. 'I guess it's not out of the question that they'd snap eventually. Guess I picked a good time to defect from the village.' "So your a Kaguya? I guess you intend on attacking the Mist along with your clan." Kimimaro flinched at that, and this time Zabuza did smirk. "But what's the point? I can tell your afraid of me kid. Not that I blame you. There are plenty of people stronger than me in the Mist, not to mention that the Mizukage has been expecting something from the Kaguya. You want to die or something?"

He didn't responed, but Kimimaro's face betrayed what his voice would not. Confusion, with a touch of needy desperation. The boy didn't know what to say, but he wanted a purpose. And it was at that time that Zabuza remembered were he saw eyes like the Kaguya infront of him. The Demon looked to his side, glancing at the shorter figure next to him. Zabuza remembered all to well how he found Haku, and saw that same desparate look in his eyes. It was a look that screamed for a purpose; that longed for a reason to exist. Even if you need to work for a madman, or a bloodthirsty killer to get it. As he was all to familar with that state of thinking, Haku probably noticed it by now too.

"How about coming with me?" The boy's eyes widened, letting his guard down, but he was too shocked to notice. "If want a reason to exist, I can give you one. I'll forge you into a weapon, a powerful one at that." He gestured back to the path behind them, the path that lead to the Village of the Hidden Mist. "I plan on returning to here one day. I'll kill the worthless bastard of a Kage, and take the position for myself. But to do that I need power, and you and Haku here," he gestured to the boy next to him, "would make perfect weapons. How about it? It's a much better fate than being killed by some no name punk and tossed into a ditch by the Mist, who are too damn scared of your Bloodline Limit to use you properly.

"Or dying for the Kaguya, who are too stupid to think straight." He added, further contributing to his point. If Kimimaro did walk down that road, he probably would die. Zabuza certainly had no intention on forcing the young man to follow, but dying in such a manner was a clear waste of time and talent.

The Kaguya's hands fell to his side, lost in thought. Unerved, the Demon of the Mist walked past him, Haku quietly trailing him. "It's up to you kid. If you want a real purpose, come with me." By then, the pair were a good eight feet from Kimimaro, before they heard the sound of him running his way. As he caught up, he walked beside Zabuza. "What is your name?" He asked tentively. Without pause, the man replied. "I'm Momochi Zabuza, the Demon of the Bloody Mist, and one of the Seven Swordmen of the Mist." Kimimaro nodded, and closed his eyes. "Very well, Zabuza-san. I am yours."

Haku watched the exchange with great interest, before setting his eyes on Kimimaro. The White haired youth looked in his direction as well, then moved beside the other boy. "Hello Kimimaro-kun. I'm Haku." The silver haired boy introduced himself before looking ahead, somewhat deflating Haku's expression. Nevertheless, Zabuza grinned. Haku's bloodline limit would increased his power a great deal, when he is properly trained. With the addition to Kimimaro, his second blade, Zabuza looked forward to the day he returned to the Mist.

* * *

Just a little something I've been messing around with for a while. Didn't think I'd ever post it, but after I read through Team 8 a fourth time I wanted some (**male**) Haku based fiction. Haven't found much sadly, so I figure, why not write some myself? I always thought it was a shame that Kimi and Haku died so soon, and hopefully I can do them justice. It's been a while since I've seen any of the characters above, so hopefully my memory isn't too rusty. Let me know what you think!


	2. Chapter 1

The trio of Zabuza, Kimimaro, and Haku moved through the trees silently and rapidly, the rain constantly splashing freezing water across their bodies, and the winds howled around them, threatening to compromise their leaps with each blow. As it was, a wind strong enough could alter their path enough to send one, or all, of them crashing into a tree. Zabuza was dealing with it with all the ease you'd expect an experience shinobi to have. In other words, it didn't bother him in the slightest. If the rain bothered Kimimaro, he didn't show it. But then, Haku reminded himself, the Kaguya rarely revealed anything at all. From the few hours they'd been together, Kimimaro was the definition of composure, his face and body language never changing since the three of them left the Hidden Village of the Mist, even as freezing rain began to fall. Haku, on the other hand, was shaking all over, his entire body freezing from the constant exposure to water. He rubbed his hands together in an attempt to warm up, but it did little good; his hands were so slippery and numb he could barely feel anything. Giving up on warming himself up, he instead shielded his eyes from the rain. Another futile gesture considering how thick the rain was; he could barely see what was in front of him. It was times like this that Haku cursed his small chakra supply; he had initially used chakra to keep himself warm, but he ran low quickly and needed to conserve enough for the trip.

Ignoring the cold and water as best he could, Haku instead looked ahead to see he was losing speed; Kimimaro and Zabuza were growing more distant with each leap. Gritting his teeth, Haku pushed more chakra into his legs as his feet landed on the branch, leaping even farther ahead. Four enhanced leaps put Haku head to head with Kimimaro, who continued his jumps with the same neutral expression. Now he was keeping paces with the other boy. Haku would have smiled at this, but a painful jolt ran through his entire body, and he felt a noticeable drain on his chakra at the moment. Undeterred, Haku leaped again. Unfortunately, Haku didn't use, or more accurately, he didn't have, enough chakra to grab onto the wet branch he landed on. His foot slipped, and he began to fall before he even realized what was happening. Haku's eyes widened and his jaw slowly dropped. With a sharp intake of breath and woozy, disoriented feeling in his head, Haku stared at the darkness below.

Without warning, a pair of arms wrapped around his stomach, saving him from what would no doubt be a fatal fall. Kimimaro landed on a branch, Haku in his arms as he moved the other boy behind him, resting him on his back. With the other boy secure, Kimimaro took off again, catching back up to Zabuza and matching his pace.

"Thank you." Haku whispered a silent thanks to the Kaguya, who nodded in acknowledgement.

Haku sighed as his eyes fell. Despite escaping such a dangerous predicament, Haku's mood began to grow bleaker. He was grateful that Zabuza lead the way, unable to see them, as he would no doubt be disgusted by such weakness.

* * *

The former Mist Nin watched his two pupils follow his Water Clone with interest, wondering if either of them would be able to detect him or the fact that they were following a clone. He didn't expect them too, but he was curious to see how skilled Kimimaro was. It was entirely possible that the young man was more powerful then Zabuza himself, and merely hid it well. His chakra supply and control were impressive for his age, considering the three of them have been traveling for two hours straight and he had yet to tire or slip. His reactions are impressive as well, considering how easily he reacted to Haku's slip up. Zabuza pegged Kimimaro at about 12 or 13, and he was far more skill than the many punks at that age he's seen simply "playing" ninja. He eclipsed Haku a great deal in terms of skill, though Zabuza acknowledged that Haku had only been training for a year, far less time than a kid his age normally has, and the Ice User was making remarkable progress in that time. All the same, it would seem Zabuza had another prodigy on his hand, which was good news to The Demon of the Mist and his personal quest against the Mizukage.

Still, prodigies were problems in their own way. The incredible rate at which they excelled also applied to they're arrogance, which simply wouldn't do. Sooner or later they questioned why they were following a master when they could do better on their own, which was how many a missing-nin, Zabuza included, became what they were. Zabuza couldn't have his weapons thinking they were better than him in any category, even if they probably would be in a few years. Haku was already conditioned to were that won't be a problem; the boy latched on to anyone who would give him a reason to live, and would gladly die in order to protect that 'precious person'. Kimimaro was bound to be similar, but Zabuza couldn't take that chance. The elder shinobi's been around Haku for little over a year, and has had plenty of time to study his habits; he's been around Kimimaro for a few days, and there could any number of undetected personality quirks that could ruin his worth as a weapon. Zabuza would need some time alone to study the young man.

The trio traveled to one of the islands closets to the main continent before Zabuza decided that enough distance had come between his party and the Mist. The island was a relatively industrious one, as it was close to the mainland. Many from the Land of Fire would visit the island for its tropical weather, and to sell their wares while relaxing under the sun. Unfortunately for some, and fortunately for Zabuza, the island was subject to several storms and hurricanes a year, ranging from mild to severe. A mild one had settled over the island for the past few days now, making it difficult to track anyone under the constant rain, let alone a fully trained shinobi like Zabuza. The weather made it even easier to cover his escape to the main land and get away from Hunter Nins that would surely follow, after the Mist dealt with the Kaguya clan's attack.

The trio landed in front of a building with the kanji, "Golden Times Inn", written across the front of the building, in faded paint. Zabuza and Kimimaro quickly moved inside, with Haku still hanging on Kimimaro's back, in an effort to escape the escalating rain. The room was empty. As Zabuza walked up to the front desk and rang the bell, Kimimaro scanned the room with a look of disdain. The room had a horrible smell to it, like mold poorly covered up with a flowery fragrance. The decorum wasn't much to look at; all the Kaguya saw was second hand wooden chairs with chucks of wood missing, and couches with dirty fabric. The walls were covered with various and different wallpaper in seemingly random areas. It seemed like the owner wanted to drive customers away, not bring them in. Although the 'Golden Times Inn' was a miles above Kimimaro's former residence, the obvious lack of effort that went into this building didn't say much about the owners of the establishment.

Zabuza rung the bell once more, annoyed at having to wait any longer. The shinobi heard some shuffling about in another room, before the door behind reception opened and a middle aged man with dark hair and a large scar across his forehead sauntered out. He was dressed in a surprisingly fine kimono, considering how lowly the rest of the inn looked.

The man scratched the back of his head. "Sorry 'bout that. I was… entertaining some company." The lopsided grin on his face made Kimimaro question what kind of company he meant. The man seemed to have noticed Zabuza for the first time, as his eyes widened. "Ah, Zabuza-san! I haven't seen you in a while, my friend. What can I do for you?"

"I'll need the usual, Zangen."

"Alright then. That's be 400 ryo each, for the... three of you?" The man squinted at Kimimaro, who stared back with a blank expression on his face. "I see you picked up another stray." The man ignored Kimimaro's frown, turning his attention to the older man. "This one's a boy right?"

Kimimaro blinked vacantly, unsure if he should be insulted or not.

The swordsman rolled his eyes. 'Am I the only one that didn't mistake Haku for a girl? It's so obvious.' "Yes, Kimimaro's a boy."

"Huh. Looks awful effeminate either way." the scarred man commented as he rubbed his chin. "Back in my day it was a hell of a lot more obvious. What's with the pretty boys wanting to play ninja nowadays?"

"Why are you still out here, honey?" A woman with black hair and pale skin wearing a loose kimono, with nothing underneath, walked out the door behind Zangen, wrapping her arms around the man's waist. "We hardly ever get any time to ourselves." she pouted slightly, nibbling on the man's neck. Zabuza massaged his forehead, trying to deal with the upcoming headache. He'd rather not come to Zangen and Yae, but the Golden Times Inn was the perfect hide out for missing-nin, and he was one of the few that could access it without going through a lot of unpleasant illusions in the process.

"We have customers if you hadn't noticed, Yae-chan." the man explained, reluctantly removing the woman's arms from his waist. "It's Zabuza-san and Haku-kun. And some other kid." Yae's eyebrows rose slightly as she bent over the desk, staring directly at Kimimaro and Haku with a mischievous smile. Something about the woman set off alarms of every sort in Kimimaro's head, but he maintained a stone faced expression. Yae's face went from mischievous to concerned as she looked closely at Haku. "Is he alright?" she asked, pointing at the black haired youth.

Zabuza turned towards his first weapon for the first time since they arrived. He had been unusually silent, and would at least give greetings to familar faces like Zangen and Yae. Walking over to the young man, the older shinobi's eyes narrowed. Haku's eyes were closed, and his breath was shallow but frequent.

Zabuza cursed under his breath. "Zangen, get a doctor."

* * *

"He seems to have a high fever, and is suffering from mild chakra exhaustion." the bespectacled man muttered, his palm moving over Haku's head. "Must have been in the storm too long." The doctor turned towards Zabuza, who was leaning against the wall next to the door. "Will he live?" Zabuza asked, an annoyed frown appearing on his face. Standing up, the man nodded. "He should be fine. As long as he gets plenty of rest and liquids the fever should go away in a few days. Make sure he doesn't use chakra under any circumstances for the next few days, until his supply is replenished. If he tries he could aggravate his fever, or damage his coils."

"I see." Zabuza muttered. "Zangen has your payment's downstairs."

"Of course." The doctor replied, nodding to Zabuza as he exited the room. Once the doctor left, Zabuza sat in a chair beside Haku's bed and clinched his teeth in frustration. Paying off a ninja doctor that didn't ask questions and an expanded stay at the hotel had sapped most of his money. He still had enough to live off of for a while, but he would have to start taking on jobs sooner then he'd like, which could attract the attention of hunter-nins.

Haku awoke with a fierce headache and a persistent sweat. The young man tried looking around his room; try as he might, he couldn't see a thing other than the faint moonlight shining through the window. There was no telling where he was or who he was with, and constant awareness was something Zabuza-san praised constantly. Haku could barely move with the covers that seemed weighted him down and did a considerably good job in keeping him in place, he suspected that the exhaustion he felt was responsible for that, which continued to grow with each passing second. He felt as though someone had coated him in burning desert sand straight from the Village Hidden in the Sands. If any enemies were present, he could do little to stop them.

"Haku."

Haku perked up almost instantly at the familar sound of Zabuza's gravelly voice, next to him. Haku squinted in at the darkness, barely able to make out his mentor. The ice user began pushing covers aside, but Zabuza spoke again. "Stop, you need to get some rest. How are you feeling?"

Haku had hoped he would hear a touch of concern, but there was none. Zabuza was merely inspecting his weapon for any damage. Lying back down, Haku pushed the disappointment in the back of his head and thought for a second, "I believe I'm suffering from chakra exhaustion and a fever. I should be ready in two to four days."

Unknown to Haku, Zabuza smirked in the darkness; the boy was still as sharp as ever. Zabuza handed his pupil a tray, with a roll of crackers and a glass of water on it. "You've been out for four hours now. We are at the Golden Times Inn right now." Haku heard Zabuza sitting up from his seat, apparently deciding that he had said enough. Against his better judgment, the ice user asked, "What do you plan on doing while we're here?" 'With Kimimaro-kun?' Haku thought, shoving the last few words back down before he could speak them, feeling something remarkably similar to jealousy. When Zabuza said nothing, Haku spoke again. "Never mind, Zabuza-san. Forgive me for overstepping my bounds."

Zabuza grunted slightly as he left the room. "Get better soon."

Walking down the hall, Zabuza smirked yet again; Haku probably did figure out that Zabuza wanted to test his latest ward. Haku himself went through the exact same situation when he was discovered, and Kimimaro would get no special treatment. It would seem as though Haku was hoping for something else. Being around other shinobi his age was a rarity in Haku's case, and he was probably thinking that Kimimaro might replace him or something to that effect. Zabuza thought about easing the boy's suspicions, that he would never be cast aside as long as he was of use, but thought better of it. Shinobi, or rather, humans in general, flourished in the presence of competition. Rivalries were a good way of pushing a person to or past their limits.

What more, Haku needed to do away with the notion of hoping for anything. Hope is something the weak hide behind in order to avoid their problems, and Zabuza has no use for the weak. If Haku doesn't want to get left behind, he'll just have to get stronger, not hope that Zabuza will deal with his insecurities. As he walked down the stairs Zabuza noticed Zangen standing within the doorframe with his arms crossed, his back to the wall. His face bore an annoyed expression.

"You're pushing that kid way too hard." Zangen noted, shaking his head is disappointment.

Zabuza scoffed as he walked past. "That's my business. And what do you care? Your retired, remember?" He reminded Zangen.

Zangen walked with him, matching his pace. "Damn straight, and without a regret. But if you want Haku-kun to be of any use to you, your going to have to make sure he stays alive first." Zangen cocked his head. "Not everyone can kill an entire class of shinobi canidates you know. Let alone remain 'sane' after the fact." Zangen reminded himself of the company he kept. With Zabuza, the Demon of the Mist, his level of sanity was difficult to comprehend, especially considering how easily he took to bloodshed.

Zabuza grinned at the mention of his fondest memory. "Unfortunately." His grin faded a bit. "But I see your point."

* * *

The next day, Zabuza and Kimimaro were gone well before Haku had woken up. Haku was incredibly disappointed that he didn't get a chance to bid them farewell, but there was nothing he could do. With a sigh, he laid back, wondering what to do with his time alone, when he noticed a thick book on the desk next to him. He picked it up and studied the large tome. The book was completely void of identification of any kind. It looked as though there was a title before, but the fabric covering the book had long since faded or been covered with Haku could only assume was blood. Flipping it open, Haku saw a note attached to the inside of the cover.

'Thought this might keep you busy. I know it taught me a thing or two! - Yae-chan'.

Thumbing through the pages, Haku quickly noted that this was a book on human anatomy, which would be incredibly useful during his career as a shinobi. The pages were incredibly worn, and there were plenty of hand written notes added frequently to various pages in Yae's handwriting. The most interesting thing was the various Land of Lightning symbols he had seen. Perhaps Yae had stolen this book during a mission? He sent a silent thanks to Yae, before beginning to read.

Haku was one-hundred pages into his human anatomy book when Kimimaro walked in, looking as though he's been through a war. He was covered in mud and sweat and looked rather filthy over all. The bone user had more than a few bruises and cuts on his skin and clothes as well. None of it seemed to bother the boy as he wordlessly walked into the bathroom, which Haku found irritating. Haku didn't know what to expect when Kimimaro joined Zabuza, but he harbored the hope that he'd be kind of like a brother, or at the very least a friend. Unfortunately he seemed to be more of a rival than anything else, not to mention a little cold towards everyone he encountered. Regardless, Haku was forced to admit that Kimimaro was a far more competent shinobi then Haku was, and right now he had all of Zabuza's attention. An anxious feeling settled itself over Haku. 'What if Zabuza-san is content with Kimimaro? What if Zabuza-san feels I'm more of a hindrance then an asset, and casts me aside?' The very thought only increased his anxiety, threatening to consume any form of security he felt. Memories of eating rotten food and enduring limb numbing cold, of a hallow and meaningless existence were all too fresh in Haku's mind. 'I can't go back to that.' he thought, glaring at the entrance of the bathroom with a bitter frown on his face.

Haku shook his head slightly. It would be so easy to hate Kimimaro, but Haku quickly reminded himself that his own weakness is what lead to him getting sick in the first place. Not to mention that it was Kimimaro that saved him from falling to his death. Anything could happen on a mission, and Haku should have worn something proper for the weather. Although he never had any form of shinobi training up until a year ago, that was exactly the reason why he needed to work harder, to make up for lost time. With a resigned sigh, Haku turned back to his reading. There was little point in dwelling on things he could do nothing about. At the very least he can be of some use to Zabuza-san even like this.

As soon as Haku looked back at the book, the sound of running water captured his ear. 'The shower.' Haku thought in frustration, placing the book pages down on his lap. As the water kept running, Kimimaro walked out of the bathroom, wearing the same clothing he walked in with, only clean. Haku's eyebrows raised in surprise. There was no conceivable way he could clean such filthy clothing that quickly, and he had no other outfits on his person. "How did you...?" he started, but Kimimaro was one step ahead, replying, "Water clone. Where's the kitchen?"

Haku felt himself nod slightly, feeling very foolish for not noticing. He pointed out the entrance to the kitchen, the door way in front of him, and the clone walked through without another word. The kitchen was small, with only the bare essentials, so Haku had no problem seeing what the clone was up to. The clone took out two pots. It filled one with water and tea bags, and the other with rice and water, setting both on the stove. Haku stared at the clone work about the kitchen, and noted with jealousy how easily and fluid it moved, as though it were Kimimaro himself. Haku's chakra control was good, but that's because he had so little chakra to begin with, and had difficulty forming enough for a relatively easy technique like the Mizu Bushin. Not to mention the difficulty he had separating his Wind-natured chakra from his Water-natured, causing the clone to "freeze up" slightly, or disrupt the clone entirely. The idea of an "Ice" clone sounded interesting, but it did little good if you couldn't get it to move.

"What are you reading?" Kimimaro inquired calmly, causing Haku to jump. Kimimaro was walking out of the bathroom in a bathrobe with a towel in hand, drying his hair with a neutral expression on his face.

"It's a book on Human anatomy. Major arteries, chakra coil locations, things of that sort." Kimimaro nodded thoughtfully.

"Where did you acquire it?"

"Yae-san let me borrow it."

Kimimaro frowned for the briefest of seconds before he mastered his expression, though this was not lost on Haku. 'Does he have a problem with Yae-san?' Haku thought, puzzled. 'He barely knows her. Did something happen while I was asleep?'

Kimimaro had walked into the kitchen to watch his clone. Haku wanted to continue reading, but unfortunately his attention span was shot now, and silence continued to pass as Haku stared at the pages of his book, at a lost as to what he should do now.

"...Are you hungry?"

Haku looked up to see the silver haired young man looking into the kitchen, observing the work of his clone. Kimimaro's question caught the Ice user off guard. "Yes, that would be nice." he managed. A small smile graced Haku's lips. 'Perhaps he's not so bad.'

Minutes passed before Kimimaro's clone brought a tray with bowl of rice and a cup of steaming tea before Haku, setting it down in front of the other boy. After taking a few bites of rice, Haku noted that it wasn't half bad. Granted, it wasn't anything special and it certainly wasn't a difficult meal to cook, but it was nice, and Haku certainly didn't mind something to eat. It was a small portion, so the ice user finished it quickly. After taking the cup of tea in his hand and giving it a quick blow, Haku noticed Kimimaro glancing at him from the corner of his eye.

"Did you what to ask something?" Haku questioned before sipping his tea, noting that it was pretty good as well.

Kimimaro paused for a second. "I am curious. How did you come to follow Zabuza-san?"

Haku's eyebrows rose. He certainly wasn't expecting that. He shrugged slightly. "He found me on an island around the Hidden Village. My parents are dead and I had no one else."

The explanation was incredibly short and really lacking in detail, but Kimimaro suspected there was more to Haku's tale then he let on. Regardless, he didn't pursue any further. If Haku didn't want to release any information he wasn't ready to, then so be it. Kimimaro wasn't exactly ready to talk about his past at the moment either. As the silver haired youth enjoyed another bite of rice, Haku spoke up. "Do you enjoy following Zabuza-san?"

Kimimaro tilted his head, unsure of how to answer. His "training session" with the older shinobi went about as well as he expected. Zabuza regularly trounced him, with a smile on his face no doubt. Kimimaro was under the impression that Zabuza was judging him, and although he didn't want to disappoint, the young man didn't really feel any loyalty towards the man. It wasn't a surprise, upon retrospect. The three of them had only been together for few days. What's more, Zabuza seemed to lack something. He was certainly strong, which is something Kimimaro could admire, but he felt a kind of detachment from the swordsman, as though he and Haku were valuable, but expendable. Kimimaro's experience with the outside world was lacking at best, but from what little he'd seen of it before, comrades don't treat each other like that, even fairly new ones. Perhaps Kimimaro was looking too deeply into the situation when Zabuza said he wanted "tools". That could be exactly what he wanted, not comrades, not friends, not family. Kimimaro wasn't sure how he felt about that yet.

"I don't know." Kimimaro answered honestly, unable to determine how he truly felt about either of the shinobi in his company. Haku took his response at face value, for now, and turned back to his tea. The Kaguya glanced at Haku through the corner of his eye, and seeing that Haku had had his say, he resumed eating as well.

* * *

Been a while huh? Glad to see there's more Haku and Kimimaro fans out there than I thought. Hope your guys enjoyed the chapter, which was longer than I thought it would be.


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